Minimizing Sun Damage Naturally After the Burn

I'm a fair-skinned redhead with a history of too much sun exposure. I remember peeling the burned skin on my young body as a kid after spending summers in our backyard pool. You would think that I'd learn my lesson by the time I was a sophomore in college when I was on an exchange program at the University of Hawaii. Nope! Instead of hitting the books, I spent far too much time on Waikiki Beach. Of course, I would never do that now!

I should also mention that my fair-skinned dad and redheaded grandfather also had basal cell carcinoma removed from their faces -- several times. Between my history and my genes, does this mean I'm doomed to become one of the 1.3 million Americans who develop skin cancer each year?

While it's a little too late to go back and take better care of my skin, I am taking a proactive approach today in repairing some of the damage from the past and protecting it for the future. Research on cancer-fighting phytochemicals has given me hope that my skin's fate is not sealed.

Green tea, turmeric, grape seeds and milk thistle are the keys to undoing some UV radiation damage as well as shield from current exposure. Polyphenol-rich green tea, applied topically and ingested, provides broad-spectrum protection to prevent inflammation, DNA damage and immune deficiency.

Turmeric is also a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which has been found to increase cell death in human basal cell carcinoma. One animal study found that topical curcumin (the yellow pigment from turmeric) inhibited the formation and promotion of skin tumors.

Resveratrol, found in grape seeds and skin, is an antioxidant with a similar effect on tumors as curcumin. Grape seeds and skin also contain powerful phenolic compounds, which not only protect against sun damage, but also rejuvenates the skin while increasing its elasticity and flexibility.

Milk thistle is most often known as a great liver detoxifier. However, this antioxidant also reduces DNA damage and immunity suppression. In an animal study, it was used topically to significantly minimize the growth of skin tumors.

Combining these powerhouse antioxidants offers a synergistic effect in combating UV damage. While I've been using Aubrey Organic Green Tea Sunblock for Children when I am inevitably in the sun because it's natural and contains green tea, I recently came across another natural sunblock from an Australian company which contains green tea and grapeseed extract, called UV Natural Sunscreen. It's a little more costly, but could be worth it to high-risk people like me.

While my sunbathing past is history, my future using natural sun protectors and healthy skin promoters gives me hope that skin cancer can be fought to mimize the damage.

Photo: Courtesy of phototakeout.com
Sources:
Taste For Life, June 2007
http://www.lef.org/

Buy Green Tea Extract - 73% Off Name Brands!